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OVERVIEW

Phil Willmott’s new version of Anton Chekhov’s final masterpiece is set in 1917 just as the Tsarist regime topples and the Bolsheviks seize power.

A Bolshevik student, Trofimov, visits his former aristocratic employers as they face ruin, in order to try and reconcile his affection for them with his revolutionary fervour.

The Cherry Orchard is a poignant comedy about a family facing ruin and a vibrant snapshot of life amidst the hopes, tragedy and chaos of the Russian Revolution. Populated by colourful, vivid and unforgettable characters this much loved play comes to new life in a daringly fresh production that anticipates the regime change to come.

Since the death of a child, the old house, set amidst its beautiful cherry orchard, has been abandoned for years by most of the family. But Russia has moved on and their privileged aristocratic life can no longer be taken for granted. A new middle class is buying up parcels of the old estates for holiday homes whilst on the streets of St Petersburg civil unrest threatens all the old certainties of class and privilege. Now the family, their staff and hangers-on are back to decide what to do with the property and the remains of their rapidly depleting fortune. Three generations of masters and servants must assess their best chance of survival and the future of the cherry orchard, in a changing world where nothing can be taken for granted.

The third production in the Union Theatre's essential classics 2018 season comprising of Shaw’s Heartbreak House, Bizet’s Carmen and Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard. Three topical productions from the Phil Willmott Company in which great playwrights and composers of the past have reflect on issues similar to those we face today.